Massive and expensive equipment,
marks the professional radio station.
But in the amateur field, radio parts often include
pieces of assorted junk,
ingeniously assembled by operators who are called Hams
and who take up broadcasting as a hobby.
CQ Delta X-ray. This is Zulu Delta 7 Sierra.
The island of St Helena in the South Atlantic, calling CQ.
I can't explain really,
but to be able to contact people from around the world
in far off distant countries
on a little radio, a little transceiver like this,
with a lot of the times, a home made antenna,
that is fantastic. You just can't explain it...
the feeling you get.
It's better than watching television.
Cards to prove long distance contacts,
are exchanged by the Hams and proudly displayed.
This is my own QSL card.
So you've got a photograph of me.
ZD7, that's St Helena.
And ZD8S was when I was on Ascension.
With a telephone, if the persons on the next end,
you know you're going to talk to them.
Here, you don't know who you're going to talk to.
You put your own imagination to what you're hearing.
Nowdays where we have everything
on these little gadgets that
people walk around with in their hands,
they do everything on there.
And it's hard to get young people into this sort of thing now,
especially with all the gadgets they have.
And it's a real pity.
I first saw a radio when I was about eight years old.
And for the life of me, I couldn't think
where is this voice coming from?
There was only one little station here on the island.
And his name was Billy Stevens.
He would sit there Thursday evenings
and Sunday afternoons
and shoot out Country and Western music.
And that's why St Helenians and people like myself
are into the roots of country music.
(So you're in a band?)
Yes, a little Country band,
from this side of the island, the west side of the island.
(What do you call yourselves?)
'The Dry Bottle Band'.
I didn't share their enthusiasm for that.
Came in last night about a half past ten.
Baby of mind wouldn't let me in.
So move on over, move on over.
Move over little dog 'cause the big dog's moving in.
These radios are real connection for me.
It's real, it's for real.
This is my connection here with the outside world.
Good conversations, interesting conversations.
And I feel it's really authentic,
being a Ham radio operator.
Move over cool dog 'cause the hot dog's moving in.
So that's me.
Zulu Delta 7 Sierra,
waiting for your call.
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